ITDP Indonesia in collaboration with UK PACT conducted 3-day Focus Group Discussions with vulnerable groups. It aims to mainstream GESI aspects through participatory planning for scaling up Transjakarta E-Bus implementation. 

ITDP Indonesia is in collaboration with the UK PACT project on “Building Capacity and Action Plan to Scale Up Transjakarta E-Buses”.  The project aims to achieve 100% Transjakarta fleet electrification by 2030. One output of the project is to incorporate Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI)  issues as an input for the universal fleet design for E-bus, as well as its passenger information system. 

In September 2021, ITDP Indonesia conducted a 3-day Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with three different participant groups, including People With Disabilities (PwDs), children, and women.  The FGD aims to discuss the specific needs of Transjakarta E-Bus users, identifying the hindrance and obstacle that users have while using Transjakarta, as well as gathering input and recommendation regarding the fleet design and passenger information system from the participants.

The first day of the FGD discussed the needs of people with disabilities while using Transjakarta.  The discussion was split into three subsections which consists of persons with physical disabilities, sensory disabilities, and mental disabilities to accommodate the different needs of each disability type.  Some highlights from the first day of FGD are the difficulty of accessing the bus from the station, the minimum adequate passenger information system, and the lack of Transjakarta passengers’ awareness regarding the specific needs of people with disabilities and priority seats.

The second day of the FGD, which invited the children’s representatives, discussed different issues that are currently happening.  Some findings are the height of the bus railing which is not accessible to children and security issues.  In particular, one participant recounts her experience using Transjakarta and another user rushes to tap his card in order to charge her extra cost as an illegal fee.

The third day of the FGD was held as a discussion with the women’s group.  Major issues that are still happening are Transjakarta officer’s service which is less helpful and the need to return on-board officers to provide information to users and to prevent harassment. One of the participants tells that she once met a mother that breastfeed her baby in Transjakarta’s fleets. She suggested the need for a closed room for breastfeeding mothers inside Transjakarta’s fleets to make the breastfeeding more convenient, both for the mothers and for other passengers.

After the series of FGD, ITDP will carry on and analyze the inputs from the participants to Transjakarta’s team. The recommendations gathered from the FGD will become an integral part of the comprehensive action plan to significantly scale up electrification of Transjakarta E-bus fleets for a better and inclusive E-Bus for all.

Transjakarta Electric Bus Trial with People With Disabilities